Newly opened Hachi restaurant bringing good fortune to Middletown

By Scott Whipple Special to the Press

Published 1:52 pm, Monday, February 1, 2016

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Co-owner and manager Maggie Huang runs the restaurant with her husband — head chef Leo Huang. The couple moved from New York City to open Hachi after researching Middletown’s array of world cuisines. less

Co-owner and manager Maggie Huang runs the restaurant with her husband — head chef Leo Huang. The couple moved from New York City to open Hachi after researching Middletown’s array of world ... more

Photo: Courtesy Photo

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Maggie Huang, co-owner manager of Hachi on Main Street in Middletown, showcases one of the eatery’s sushi dishes.

Maggie Huang, co-owner manager of Hachi on Main Street in Middletown, showcases one of the eatery’s sushi dishes.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

Newly opened Hachi restaurant bringing good fortune to Middletown

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MIDDLETOWN >> Hachi is the number 8 in Japanese, a symbol that means good fortune.

Co-owner and manager Maggie Huang and her husband, Leo, head chef and co-owner of the eatery, one the city’s newest restaurants in the former Anoho building, point out that the number 8 is like lucky number 7 in America.

“I hope we have good fortune as well as the people who come here to eat,” said Maggie Huang.

So far, the signs are favorable.

During the restaurant’s opening on Jan. 7, the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce welcomed the Huangs and building co-owner Leo Lin to 320 Main St. The Huangs, born and raised in Foochow, China, have worked in various restaurants that specialize in Thai and French-Japanese cuisine.

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Hachi restaurant — what you need to know

Hachi, at 320 Main St. in Middletown, is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 9:30 p.m.

Most credit cards accepted (minimum $10); 3 percent off for cash. The restaurant delivers for an additional $2. Takeout is available; call ahead for pickup. Ask about VIP and student discounts.

Mike Fallon of the chamber said he was not only pleased with the ingredients, but also the food’s presentation.

“When I saw the dishes come out and how they made the sauces with the fish, it was incredible,” Fallon said. “It showed me they care about the quality of the food; it was both tasty and eye-catching.”

Leo Huang said the restaurant’s fish is shipped directly from Japan to Boston and then to Hachi.

Two years ago, the Huangs were living in New York City when they started researching various communities in which to open a restaurant.

“My husband has worked a long time for others, but always wanted his own business,” Maggie Huang said.

The Huangs decided that Middletown, a growing area with the right demographics and home to cuisines around world, was ready for Japanese dishes like theirs.

The couple worked 18 hours a day for three months to get the restaurant in shape; she did the painting, he put down the carpet and made the cabinets. At some point, they may open a second restaurant.

Hachi seats 45 and, because of fire laws, their hibachi is prepared in the kitchen and not at the table like other restaurants.

The menu is extensive with reasonable prices. It includes soups, salads, share plates, sushi, tempura and teriyaki, hibachi and a customer favorite, Bento Box Special — soup, salad, seasonal vegetables, shrimp and rice. Maggie Huang says other customer favorites are sushi, hibachi steak and tuna pie made with jalapeno, mango and strawberries. Vegetarian choices are many and varied. Right now, it’s bring your own beverage, but eventually Hachi will be permitted to serve wine, saki and beer.

On opening day, Chamber President Larry McHugh dined on the Maggie Roll [spicy baby lobster, fried shrimp, avocado, mango and other choice ingredients]. Maggie Huang said he seemed to enjoy the food.

“We are really happy about Hachi opening in Middletown,” McHugh said. “The restaurant has great food and service and will be a nice addition to the exciting restaurants in downtown.”